The present invention relates to a paging receiver for informing the user of paging when received a paging signal and, more particularly, to a paging receiver capable of memorizing and reporting the time when the paging signal is received.
A paging receiver extensively used today receives a radio signal via an antenna and a receiver circuit. A paging signal included in the received signal is compared with a paging number assigned to the receiver and stored in a memory. If they compare equal, a speaker produces an alert tone and/or a light emitting diode (LED) emits light to alert the user to the the paging. To stop the alert tone and/or the light, a reset switch provided on the receiver may be pressed. When a predetermined period of time elapses without the reset switch being pressed, the alert tone and/or the light is automatically turned off while the received data is written to the memory. Afterwards, as the user presses the reset switch, the received data is read out of the memory to turn on the alert tone and/or the light again in order to inform the user of the paging.
A conventional paging receiver of the type described lacks a function of informing the user of the time when the paging signal is received, i.e. time of paging. The user, therefore, cannot see the time of paging unless the user sees a watch, for example, when the speaker starts sounding and/or the LED starts glowing. This is also true with a paging signal received when the user put the receiver in, for example, an automobile and left the automobile, i.e., the user cannot see the time of paging at all although the user may press the reset switch later.
Some modern paging receivers have a CPU and a liquid crystal display (LCD). With this type of paging receiver, it is possible to cause the CPU to display the time of paging on the display. However, the CPU and display increase the overall weight, volume, surface area and current consumption of the receiver. Moreover, since the CPU feeds to the internal circuitry thereof signals produced by dividing the output signal of a crystal oscillator to necessary frequencies, the CPU itself constitutes a source of noise. The noise is apt to adversely affect the receiver circuit of the receiver to thereby lower the sensitivity. In addition, since the display is mainly made up of liquid crystal and glass, it is likely that the glass is broken when the receiver is accidentally let fall.